Contamination detainment unit

Abstract

A mobile isolation unit which forms a chemical and biological barrier that is has a substantially rectangular-parallelepiped shaped enclosure and a frame system configured to support the enclosure in the suspended position so as to create and internal and external environment. The enclosure may also be equipped with at least one opening for access into and out of the enclosure, a zipper for opening and closing the access port, at least one biomedical port, and a plurality of support points configured to support the enclosed in the suspended position when the frame is in an open position so that a patient can be placed in and out of the enclosure. A method for isolating and treating a patient using the mobile isolation unit is also provided.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0001]This invention relates generally to the field of emergency medical transport care. In particular, the present invention relates to a medical containment unit for transporting persons that have been or are suspected of being contaminated with suspected or known hazardous materials, such as chemical spills, biological agents, or other biohazards. The body containment unit of the present invention is designed to provide protection to rescue and medical personnel while allowing access to a patient in need of medical assistance.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]In certain disaster or disease situations, it is often necessary to immediately provide emergency care prior to the patient being decontaminated or properly accessed whether the patient has a highly contagious disease or has been subjected to a biological agent. For example, in a situation such as a hazardous chemical spill or the deliberate or accidental release of lethal toxins, diseases, or other a bi...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

"The present invention is a mobile isolation unit that can be used to treat chemically or biological contaminated patients while limiting exposure of the treatment or transporting facility and medical personnel to the chemical and / or biological contaminants. The unit comprises a substantially rectangular-parallelepiped shaped enclosure and a frame system configured to support the enclosure. The enclosure further comprises at least one opening for access into and out of the enclosure. The opening can be opened and closed using a closure means such as a zipper. The enclosure is also equipped with a plurality of support points designed to attach to a frame and support the enclosure in a suspended, non-collapsed configuration. The patient can be placed into the internal environment of the enclosure wherein isolating the patient from the medical environment around him or her. The patient in the isolation unit can then be transported to a health care facility without contaminating the transport vehicle and / or medical personnel treating the patient. The method comprises placing a patient into the enclosure of the isolation unit via the access opening of the enclosure. Once the patient is safely inside the enclosure, the zipper can be closed and outer flap secured so as to assure containment of any contaminates. Once the patient is removed from the isolation unit, the enclosure can either be decontaminated or discarded and another enclosure secured to the frame in preparation for the next use."

Problems solved by technology

For example, in a situation such as a hazardous chemical spill or the deliberate or accidental release of lethal toxins, diseases, or other a biological contaminants (hereinafter referred to generally as a biohazards), patients in and of themselves may represent a danger, especially to first responders providing medical and rescue assistance.

In addition, transportation of these victims to local hospitals and medical facilities are often required to save the life of the victims but, doing so without taking precautions will result in contaminating all environments that the patient comes in contact.

The patient may also contaminate other victims resulting in many ambulances being contaminated, many medical facilities becoming contaminated as well as many medical personnel.

The problem is only intensified in the state of a national disaster.

However, since the ambulance is usually limited in space with many drawers, cabinets and closets holding drugs, bandages and other medical equipment, this minimal protective coating is often breached during the transportation of the patent to the medical facility.

In addition, once the contaminated patient is removed form the ambulance, unless the same or similar procedures that were taken to protect the ambulance form being contaminated is taken to protect the medical facility, i.e. drape protective sheets on the walls, floors, ceilings, equipment and doors, then contamination of the facility is likely to occur.

Even if these procedures are taken and are preserved during transport and treatment, depending on the type of biohazard contamination, the protective measures may not be enough to protect contamination of these areas.

Moreover, even if they were sufficient, decontaminating the protective site is costly, time intensive and often not able to be done without contaminating the site being decontaminated.

Even if all contaminated protective materials are collected and the site is left uncontaminated, the task still remains to discard these materials without contaminating disposal facilities and non-medical personnel.

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